Hope Under War
by DawnsJediWind
Summary: Read and Review! A Au shortly after the Vong War. A new Sith is treating the Republic, and Luke has to go off to deal with him, leaving his pregnant wife and son behind to wait for the outcome. No unnecessary deaths. Rated M for safety, mild sex and language. Luke/Mara/Ben


**This is a sequel to another AU I'm working on. I like Skywalker family time without any Siths or stuff like that getting in the way, just an average everyday family. The time placement is a little off because I've made Luke and Mara marry five years sooner than they originally did. Three years later they had Ben during that war, now four-ish years have passed and the Vong war is over. I promise there's no unnecessary deaths in this story-which basically means Anakin and Mara are still waking around, only the bad guys dead here. **

1

Mara lay sweaty and uncomfortable. Though her hair was pulled back into a thick braid, and she were the lightest nightgown that wasn't lingerie, she was still acutely aware of the heat. At last, believing that sleep was nowhere close to the near-future, Mara rose, and slipped quietly out to look at the starts from the apartment balcony. The air stirred with a hot wind, adding to the searching heat, but at least the otherwise dead air was disturbed. Mara clinched the railing, grimacing at its warmth, and sighed heavily as she looked out at the continuously awake city planet of Corusant.

It had been nearly a mouth and half since she had seen Luke last. Though they had been apart far longer than that in the past, Mara was still wary of being without him. She felt as if she wasn't as whole or secure when he was gone, and now the instability of the Galaxy added to her concerns.

Several weeks had passed since the Vongs had claimed defeat, and the Republic was still reeling from their newest, and final, onslaught. They hadn't left without a memorable farewell of death and destruction. Adding to their insecurity were the peoples' continual suspensions of the Jedi. Though all had been said and done, Mara and other Jedi, couldn't help but notice the violations they recovered. The Senate and Leia had worked hard on their behalf, but only time could heal the wounds of suspension the Galaxy had indulged.

"Mom?"

Mara turned to see Ben watching her from under the shadow of the door, his blue eyes shining with concern and curiosity. He was almost four years old now, and took after his parents in many ways. Every time she caught sight of his bright blue eyes, Mara's heart jumped at the resemblance to Luke. There was so much about her young son that reminded her of her husband, a reason that she had insisted upon raising him herself despite Luke's arguments to rise him with the Jedi.

"He will learn the ways of the Force in good time," Mara had argued. "But I doubt it'll do him any good to be raised with Jedi and their examples. I want him to keep his innocents for as long as possible, I don't what to expose this trash heap of a world to him too early."

Luke had nodded, understanding, and finally consented to Mara's argument, though it meant she spent most of her time as a mother and housekeeper other than a Jedi and freedom fighter. Neither of them, or the rest of the family, had revealed to Ben the powers he no doubt possessed. They all thought he needed to keep his innocents for the remainder of his early childhood, and in the hopes he might one day stumble across them himself. Ben did know, however, that both his parents were great Jedi, and sometimes they had to leave him to the care of his aunt and uncle to save the world from fatal threats. He also had the understanding that he shared a special bond with both that enabled him to sense them faintly anywhere in the Universe.

Mara knelt, and wrapped her arms around him in a hug.

"Mom?" Ben asked, pulling away from her embrace and looking seriously at her. He was a serious child, a trait he had gotten from his father. "Mom, I felt something around Dad."

Mara's eyes widen. She had sensed nothing, and she had a deeper connection with Luke through the Force than anyone else expected Leia.

"What did you feel?" she brush away some tingles of curly, strawberry-blonde hair.

"I don't know," Ben hung his head, confused, "only that I felt Dad was in trouble, and you were in great pain. It hurt terribly."

Mara nodded, wrapping her arms protectingly around her son, and probed through her Force link with Luke until she found his bright orb. He was surprisingly close, until she realized with shock he had returned, and was entering Coruscant's atmosphere. _Luke,_ she asked, _are you alright? _

_Mara?!_ Mara sensed his joy and relief, _I'm fine. You? _

_ Fine,_ she answered, _Ben just sensed something….I'll tell you later. _

_ I'll be there soon,_ and she let their connection fade.

Mara turned back to Ben and lend him inside, "Your father's fine. He'll be home soon. Why don't you go back to sleep," she lend him down the hall to his room.

Ben nodded, suddenly sleepy, and crawled in under the sheets. "Do you think Dad will be able to take me to the Temple when he comes back?" he asked, stifling a yawn.

Mara smiled, "I'm sure he will," she kissed his forehead. "Now. Go-to-sleep…" she whispered. She pulled up the blankets, and returned to the living room to wait out Luke's arrival. She dimmed the lights, and settled on the couch, pondering over Ben's senses. It must have been a dream, or sensation of the future. But the closer she felt Luke coming, the harder it was to forces her mind on anything other than him. Her body tensed with expectancy, and she suddenly felt too happy for words. Luke was in the building and coming closer. Mara rose, and softly opened the door as he appeared around a corner in the hall. He stopped, and his face brightened with a grin.

Mara put a finger to her lips in silence, "Ben's just gone back to bed."

Luke nodded. Sliding behind him, Artoo chirped softly, then just as quickly fell silent.

As Mara shut the door behind him, Luke wrapped an arm around her and squeezed her tightly.

"I missed you," he whispered into her hair.

Mara chuckled before pull away and relieving some of his garb to the floor. "You stink," she wrinkled her noise good naturedly.

Luke frowned, in the hopes to hide his smile, "A fine way to welcoming me home."

"I know," Mara reached up and kissed him softly on the lips. "I love you, and—I missed you too."

"What time is it?" Luke followed her through the kitchen to the fresher.

"Sometime passed mid-night," Mara pushed him into the fresher, "Now get a shower—quietly."

"_Why?_" Luke whined.

Mara bit her tongue to keep from bursting into laughter. "I'm having nothing to do with you and your gas smells until _after _you've washed," she puckered his lips, "plus, it'll save you time in the morning."

"I'm not sure about that…" Luke grinned, and obeyed.

Settling on the bed, Mara turned her pillow over on its cooler side, and closed her eyes. A heavy hand slid over the crave of her side, down her stomach to message under her breasts. Mara giggled, laying her hand over it, stopping it.

"That was too quickly," she said.

Luke's lips brushed against the crave of her neck in a tender kiss, "I didn't what to waste time."

Mara inhaled his fresh—almost spicy—scent, and turned over to gaze better at him. Droplets of water fell on her from his dap hair. His blue eyes twinkled with mischief and amusement. She was surprised he had even taken the time to dress at least in his pants. She ran a hand along waves of his arm muscles to his neck. She pulled his head down and kissed him. Mouth engulfing his, tongue darting in, showing him her desire.

She pulled away, "How was the mission?"

"Good," Luke caressed back her hair, "but not as good as this."

Mara run her hands down his back until she found his pant's belt which she begun to unclasp.

"You know," she said, "you don't have to be soft in this."

Luke chocked his head, puzzled, "What do you mean?"

Mara tossed aside the annoying item, before sliding his pants down, "I'm not pregnant anymore, I can take your fight."

Luke grinned, lighting up his already flushed face, "I know, but Ben… He's old enough to know certain—things."

Mara arched her back, pressing Luke's body down into hers, and smiled satisfied, "Ahh. Point taken," and buried her lips in his.

Luke's hand caressed her lags as he pushed up her nightgown. Mara wiggled herself free of it, then dove in to love him as fiercely as he was to her. Lips kissed along skin, their bodies swam together in a pool of sweat, their hearts drumming loud in their ears as they rocked the waves of love to the same, consented rhythm. Each taken the other to new, dangerous, levels of passion.

All night, they activated the love they hadn't able to bestow in the past mouth. Until exhaustion took its revenge, and they collapsed beside each other. But even then, as their bodies cooled, and they regained their breath, they shared a soft kiss and caressed up and down their bodies in tender motions.

"What was it you wanted to say to me?" Luke absentmindedly toyed with Mara's hair as he looked longingly into her eyes.

Mara lay her head on his chest, breathing in his wonderfully familiar sent, and whapped her arms around his slick body, feeling his muscles flex every time he moved under her.

"Ben sensed you where in danger," she at last spoke, "He sensed that I was in great pain as well. But, neither of us are, or where."

"A seeing of the future, this is," Luke voiced the long-dead, great Master Yoda.

Mara buried her laugher in his chest.

Luke grew serious, "It was probably foresight. I've had strange, similar dreams too, but I haven't had the time to meditate them," he tightened his embrace on Mara's body, "I take it he wants to go to the Temple with me?"

Mara nodded, "Yes. He's very eager to spend some time with you."

Luke rubbed the small of her back, "I may take him tomorrow to the Council Meeting."

Mara frowned, but didn't voice her thoughts aloud, knowing Luke's response.

"It'll be alright," reassured Luke, sensing her disapproval.

"I know, but I can't help but be worried about him."

"I know, but he'll be safe with me."

"Will he?" Mara draw back to look him square in the eyes, a mixture of doubt and amusement in her sparkling eyes, "I believe you're forgetting all those times I've had to come out and save your sorry ass, Skywalker. Skywalker and Solo males naturally attract trouble."

"I won't deny that," said Luke, "but I could say the same for a certain Red."

"You might want to shut up before you're ahead," Mara advised.

A deep chuckle emerged from Luke as he laid his head on her shoulder. Mara closed her eyes as she drifted into unconsciousness, basking in the protective feeling of him so near, the pleasant weight of his head baring into her.


End file.
